Letters to the Editor

Electives should fit around core studies

In his Sept. 29 letter "Science requirements will hurt band electives," band teacher Max Miura faults a BOE program that adds science courses to the middle school program. He asserts this may leave less time for electives.

Such thinking ignores the difference between requirements and electives: Science, reading and writing are at the core of the school's mission, and other activities must be tailored around the core.

Most aspects of 21st-century life require a sound understanding of science. Understanding environmental problems, analyzing the nutritional quality of the food we eat, knowing the basis of land-use planning, or calculating wave height for a day at the beach require math and science. To understand science, one must be an adept reader. Thus, the priorities.

When I was in middle and high school, science was a requirement and band was an elective. Many students found time for and excelled in both. While I concentrated on science, math and the social studies, I also found time for chorus and track. I never found time to watch TV. I trust that Hawai'i's students can handle the same choices.

Plan another forum for solutions to ice

As my sister and I watched the ice program last week on television, our comments centered on "What's the point? So now there's awareness — what is going to be done?" Awareness is not an issue; appropriate and adequate solutions are.

At no point in time was there a bulletin announcement letting the public know that there would be a hearing about solutions. I'm not the best at keeping up with the news, but if they could put on the TV screen that the pre-empted show could be seen on Sunday, the least they could have done was say if you want input on solutions, come Saturday to the Capitol. I would have been there.

We are not "iced out"; after 15 years of dealing with this problem and having no help from law enforcement or CPS, I have a lot of suggestions, especially about how to help the children affected by their diseased parents.

The organizers did a good job about the talk-story sessions, but did poorly about how to input suggestions for solutions. Provide another opportunity for this critical input phase or alternative means for people to provide suggestions, like e-mailing your comments, etc. The public still needs to be heard.

Borges' appointment to commission wrong

Let's do the math:

1. Jimmy Borges is appointed to the Police Commission.
2. Jimmy Borges is married to Mayor Harris' executive assistant.
3. Mayor Harris is currently the focus of an investigation into improper/illegal campaign donations.

It is absolutely impossible to believe that of all the people on O'ahu, a more qualified individual could not be found to fill this position. Instead, our city leaders have placed an individual on the Police Commission with direct ties to an individual currently under investigation.

Protesting Hawaiians want more than others

Regarding Wade Shirkey's Sept. 26 column "Red T-shirts reflect spirit of Hawaiian solidarity": Red is the right color to wear when your negotiating strategy is to "act mad," intimidate and imply violence and bloodshed if you don't get what you want. But what the protesting Hawaiians want is more than other citizens merely because of their ancestry, something they never had even under the kingdom and they certainly cannot have in an American democracy.

Stolen lands? Under the Kingdom of Hawai'i, the public lands (then called "crown" and "government" lands) were held for the benefit of all subjects, not just for those of one ancestry. They still are.

Genocide? The population of Hawaiians had started to decline before Captain Cook arrived; declined throughout the years of the kingdom; then reversed itself and has increased steadily since annexation in 1898. Today, Hawaiians are the fastest-growing population in Hawai'i, according to OHA's Web site.

Culture? Religion? In 1819, shortly after the death of Kamehameha the Great, his son Liholiho, the new king, broke the kapu, dismantled the heiau and burned the wooden idols. The first missionaries arrived the next year, 1820, and soon Ka'ahumanu took charge of Christianity and made it the official religion of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. No one forced Hawaiians to do this. They themselves rejected their ancient culture and legal system and, for good reason, replaced it with Western religion and culture and legal institutions.

Anger? Frustration? Poor us, we're mad and frustrated because we don't get more than other citizens? Please spare us. Nothing in Hawai'i's past or present deprives today's Hawaiians of the same rights and the same opportunities that other citizens have to develop themselves, to take pride in their cultural traditions, and to succeed in their chosen endeavors.

This is the land of aloha and equality. The shirts should be red, white and blue, and they should say "Ku i ka pono no kakou" ("Equal justice for all").

Bush believed Saddam tried to kill his father

David Polhemus' Focus column Sunday asks why Saddam Hussein didn't prove he didn't have WMD and avoid catastrophe.

Because, in the way of thinking of a ruthless, murderous dictator, he was convinced that George W. was after Saddam's head, not because of the WMD, but because, after Gulf War I, Saddam tried to kill George W.'s father. (George W.'s quote before Gulf War II: "He tried to kill my dad!")

Also, incidentally only, to cause the loss of the re-election of George W. and to show the world that America is no less a ruthless warmonger than he.

Welfare caseload has dropped dramatically

Your Sept. 6 editorial criticizing welfare reform attributes Hawai'i caseload declines to families reaching time limits on aid and suggests these families now face extreme hardship ("No jobs, no welfare: Some of us don't count"). The facts, however, are very different than you describe.

The first families who could reach time limits in Hawai'i did so in December 2001. However, by that time, Hawai'i's caseload had already fallen by 44 percent since enactment of reforms in 1996. Only about 14 percent of case closures between September of 2001 and 2002 were due to expiring time limits. Moreover, the law allows states to exempt up to 20 percent of their caseload from time limits for hardship reasons, and Hawai'i still enjoys a special exception allowing it to exempt even more.

Time limits are only one part of larger changes initiated in 1996 that shifted welfare's focus away from long-term dependency and toward helping families move to work and self-sufficiency. Reforms have led to dramatic reductions in welfare dependency in Hawai'i and across the nation during a time when we've also seen historic improvements in single-parent earnings and reduced child poverty.

There is no evidence that families leaving welfare are facing greater hardships than they were on welfare. There is much evidence to indicate that many are doing a great deal better.

Bulky item pickup program is unfair

Now that city officials are poised to implement a pilot curbside recycling program in Mililani, they should also use the time to fine-tune aspects of the city's present waste management practices that do not pass the "common sense" test and are patently unfair.

For example, with respect to bulky item pickup, residents from Aliamanu to Hawai'i Kai are afforded once-a-month regular pickup service, while residents from 'Aiea through Central O'ahu and all of the Leeward Coast and the Windward districts have to make an appointment for pickup, which, in many instances, has taken well over a month for a city crew to do.

Could this be one of the factors why much of the illegal dumping activity is taking place outside of the urban core?

In the interest of fairness, the city administration should correct this environmental injustice so that all taxpayers of Honolulu can enjoy the same services regardless of where they reside.

Was the strike really worth all that chaos?

The bus strike caused a lot of chaos. Many people who cannot afford the high prices of gas and cars had a tough time getting from place to place.

The effects of this strike were deeper than was thought. Not only were people affected, but traffic was worse, and it overall caused many more problems than it did good.

What I do not understand is that with striking, the workers lost a lot of money that could have been used to pay for some of the extras they asked for.

I am wondering if the workers realized this, and was the strike really worth everything that the public was put through?

Museum disrespectful

For anyone to demand entry into the Kawaihae Caves as the Bishop Museum's director has done is like demanding to enter the tombs of America's forefathers. How utterly disrespectful and disgusting his request is. He ought to be ashamed!

Little girl was only sitting in truck bed

Regarding the Advertiser photo of and subsequent letter about the 2-year-old riding in the back of a pickup truck: My daughter was not riding in the back of a moving pickup truck, she was sitting in the back of a parked truck. There is a big difference.

As a mother, I am very aware of the dangers of children riding in the back of moving trucks. At the time the photo was taken, we were parked on the side of the road in Weed Circle, with the photographer standing right next to us. If you take a good look at the picture, you will see that we are on the grass and blocked in by another car. You can also see other cars that are actually on the street.

I don't know how the letter writer got the impression my daughter was riding in the back of this truck, especially when I'm standing right next to it. We were evacuated from our homes for hours. What would you rather have us do, wait in the hot truck? I'm not an idiot. If that happened, then you would be writing in to grumble about that too.